Lost During a Journey
by Therna Blakeheart
Summary: Steve didn't understand the children, but he knows what they can do. An Au where the beta kids are thrown into the MCU during the three years and everyone is confused by them. Pre-winter solider.
1. Understanding

Steve didn't understand the children, not because that's what they were, children. One even looked no older than 13, with the others not being much better (Steve was young when he started too).

But he has seen what they can do.

He's seen The Heir of Breath summon typhoons with the flick of his wrist, the Seer girl use magic so dark Loki wouldn't dare to even read about (So where did she read it?).

He's seen The Witch of Space shrink men twice her size to fit in her palm, the Knight appear out of nowhere, blood on his blade and muttering about 'dead Dave's' (Steve wonders who Dave is).

No, their age isn't a part of it.

Why? Why are these children fighting this (they call it 'theirs') war (Steve hears them often talk of a game. Is that what this is, a game)? Why do they believe they have the responsibility of protecting people? Why did they come here (Steve hears them speak of universes and creation and destruction)?

How? How did these children start their war? How did they get stuck with the responsibility of protecting people? How did they come here?

Why do they talk of friends to save? Why do they still talk of going back? Why do they still have hope?

How did they get these powers? How will they get back? How do they still have hope?

* * *

Steve likes the Heir of Breath the best. He seems to be the leader of the group, but still is the youngest (Ironic, as Steve is the leader, yet the oldest). The others have no trouble challenging him and he has no trouble correcting himself. He says he's no leader but Steve knows otherwise.

* * *

He remembers the day they showed up like it was yesterday. They were responding to a call in China of a potential massacre by a girl with the ability to control the earth when they were suddenly called off.

Tony, being Tony, immediately began hacking while Natasha didn't even make an attempt to turn the jet.

By the time they arrived in Taipei they knew that four unidentified figures in bright costumes had arrived on the scene and calmed the kid down. S.H.I.E.L.D agents were already trying to restrain them.

"Hey! It's our job to bully kids into submission!" Steve flinched when Tony whined to the agents.

A dark-skinned woman took a step forward. "Avengers. You were ordered back to headquarters."

"Yeah, we were a little curious about why a class 4 threat was suddenly downgraded enough for us to be called off." Clint smiled cheekily at her. "Also, Fury promised me a drink if the mission was successful and if we went back, I would never get it."

The agent looked ready to demand their departure when one of the costumed figures appeared beside her.

"Yeah, Laura. Just let them have some fun." Steve blinked in surprise. This is what the mission was called off for? A kid and his friends?

He was young, with pale skin and black hair. He had glasses on that seemed to cover most of his face and two teeth that protrude slightly over his bottom set of teeth. But it was the costume that was most eye catching. It was varying shades of blue, with a long hood that resembled a windsock, and a symbol on his chest that looked quite a bit like waves.

The child disappeared, a breeze taking his place, only to pop up sitting on Steve's shoulders. "So are you guy's the Avengers? Me and my friends are totally fans. Not really, we only know about you because Jade heard Laura here ordering you guys to retreat. Super dog hearing and all. By the way, your shoulders are excellent sitting on material."

Steve's eyebrows furrowed in confusion while Natasha narrowed her eyes at the boy. "Who and what are you?"

"I'm… Um… the Heir of Breath?"

"You don't sound too sure of that."

"It's true!" And with that the supposed Heir of Breath disappeared once more, this time appearing with the other three children, who had since managed to fight their way over here and were happily chatting with each other.

The one dressed in red with a rather large cog on his chest glanced at Steve and the others. "So, what the fuck are they?"

The Heir simply shrugged, unfazed by the profanity, "Not players or anything, just people with awesome powers and shit like that."

One of the girls, the one dressed in orange with a hood partially covering her face, spoke up. "I wonder if they even have a game in this universe."

"What do you mean 'game?'" Steve's curiosity got the better of him.

The final girl, the one in black and with, strangely enough, dog ears, winked at him. "Nothing, sir. Just a phrase we all use."

Steve could tell she was lying, but why? Why lie about something so… petty?

He didn't get much longer to muse about the subject as the boy in red cleared his throat to call everyone's attention. He lifted his wrist to his eyes as if looking at a watch, even though there wasn't one and then lifted it up for all the others to see. The children simply nodded solemnly, as if their was something to agree on.

"Well, I'm afraid that that means it's time for us to leave. You guys ready?" After getting some nods of conformation, the boy simply said, "Cool," before vanishing into the giant red cog that had appeared moments before.

The girl with dog ears followed, taking the other girls hand and disappearing in a flash of green light.

Suddenly, the only one left was the boy dressed in blue.

All he did was simply grin, his overbite suddenly became much more apparent, and wave, before disappearing, leaving only the breeze in his place once more.

Steve blinked once more and thought that only Tony's next words could sum up what just happened:

"What the fuck was that?"

* * *

So yeah. That happened. Basically this is an Au where during the first year of the three years something goes wrong and all the humans get zapped into this new universe. I hope to get more done, focusing on the other Avengers and kids, but don't count on it 100%. Yeah, so talk to me about shit in the reviews. I want to hear your thoughts.


	2. Questioning

The children make no sense to Natasha. It's not because of their power, no. In this day and age metas or mutants or wizards seem almost commonplace to a S.H.E.I.L.D agent, why not self-made gods?

No, it's because of their age.

She sees how Child #1 (Named John) laughs at the most immature humor, how #2 (Rose) is the smartest, but still is so naive.

She seen Child #3 **(With long black hair, Jade) **flush at the mention of another **(Named Karkat?)** when the other tese her **(they speak of Auspisticism and occasionally of Kismisses, noted)**, how #4 **(Rose's brother, Dave)** repeatedly misused the word irony **(over and over and over).**

Their powers play no part in her questioning.

Why? Why are they so young?

They tell her it was their choice **(but not really, they hadn't known it was a choice)**. They tell her they destroyed Earth, that it's their responsibility to at least save the universe **(Is there no one else? No one who is older?)**. They tell her they have friends that did the same, but there were 12 of them **(Where are 8 others to help **_**them**_**?)**.

How? How did they get into this war? How did they become the lone soldiers, assassins?

How are they still kids? How are they still naive, childish, **(almost)** innocent?

Natasha sees herself in Dave the most. She sees the killing **(whywhysomuchitsseemssopointless)** that he's done. He says that he's never killed a person. She could tell he was lying. He's killed universes, timelines, to protect his friends. All without them really understanding., without comfort.

She remembers S.H.E.I.L.D's Next encounter with them as being much less friendly than the first. It was just as surprising, but nonetheless, they are a protection agency and they can't have a few unknowns running around can they?

Natasha and Clint were reporting solo, as the Avengers were currently disbanded as Thor was off world and Tony was on a critical 'business venture.' They had been called to report of the outrageous amounts of cosmic radiation simply pouring from a seemingly random location in the middle of the Pacific.

Taking a simple jet (the helicarrier can be used for every mission, Clint) they reported to the affected area and were surprised to find a small island there, well Clint was (Natasha doesn't get surprised).

They disembarked the plane and cautiously made their way towards the ruins that Clint had seen from the sky. They silently moved through the underbrush as Clint quietly made jokes along the way.

"Hey, Natasha. What do people say when Cap sneezes?"

"..."

"God bless America."

"..."

Clint pouted at Natasha's lack of response but looked ready to spout yet another joke when suddenly Natasha threw her arm up, her hand clenched in a fist.

The both of them were suddenly in position, Natasha with a gun drawn and pointing towards where a faint red light had appeared, and Clint, bow at the ready, with eyes squinting.

The sped their approach towards the light but stayed in the shadows as it dimmed and a loud thump took it's place.

Natasha searched for signs of movement, but finding none she signaled for Clint to stay put and moved forward.

She stared at the boy on the ground. He was from that day, one of the children in those strange costumes (Reminiscent of pajamas), though he had traded his in for jeans and a white and red shirt with a record on it.

The glasses he wore covered most of his face. Natasha almost didn't notice the look of pain on it.

Almost.

She stood still as he collapsed, only moving when he was on the ground. Natasha quickly noted the blood on the back of his shirt, dried over a long period of time.

"Clint. Unconscious adolescent male. Between the ages of 13 and 15. Pale-blond hair and," the spy removed his glasses, "red eyes."

The sniper appeared behind Natasha , jogging. He spotted the amount of blood on the shirt. "Shit. You check under that yet?" Natasha said nothing as she ripped the garment open, revealing a large green tinted gash.

"Fuck."

Natasha immediately lifted her hand to her com again. "Command? We will need an airlift."

Natasha was notified exactly after 2 hours that the boy had awoken.

She made her way down to the med bay, quickly finding the room that the boy was in, only to be greeted with the sight of said boy wrestling with the nursing staff.

"Where am I? What are you doing? Let me go!"

Natasha quickly strode over and slapped up him upside the head.

"Quiet. They're helping you." She scolded as They quietly exited the room.

He snorts. "Yeah and it seems so reassuring to hear that from you." He says it with no contempt, but Natasha knows it was meant to barb.

"If you know me then you know I'm the good guy." Despite rolling her eyes internally, Natasha followed protocol and treated the kid, well, like a kid.

"Says the assassin." The boy's face remains impassive.

Steering away from that train of thought, Natasha decided to ask the questions that everyone wanted to know. "Who are you?"

"The Coolest Kid."

"Why did you have a sword on you?"

"I'm an avid collector of all things broken and shitty."

"What do those clothes you're wearing mean?"

"Nothing. I just _love_ pajamas."

"Where were you coming from when you collapsed?"

"A starving country in Africa. I was giving them relief from years of bitter ass famine."

"What are you."

This time his stoic mask broke, a smirk working its way onto his face. "A god."

He wasn't lying. At least, he didn't believe he was lying. As far as Natasha could tell, the boy believed he was a god. Like Thor.

Or Loki.

The two stared at each other for a while, neither of their faces changing. Until suddenly the boy broke the silence.

He looked away to glance at the clock behind Natasha on the wall, and then glanced at his wrist, looking back and forth between the two for a few seconds before speaking.

"That clock is off by 1.32 seconds."

Natasha lifted an eyebrow. "And how would you know?"

He shrugs. "I just know. Ironically."

There were a couple more moments of silence before the kid cleared his throat. "That's my cue to leave."

He jumped from the bed, prompting Natasha to draw her gun. He looked at her with what could have only been a look of ironic pity before summoning, seemingly out of nowhere, a sword.

He smirked once more before two things happened:

1\. He stepped through the portal that seemed to appears out of thin air.

2\. Natasha fired off her gun, hitting him in the leg, and splattering some bright (candy) red blood on the floor.

And just like he appeared, the boy was gone, walking into thin air like it was an everyday commute.

Natasha stood there, gun still in her hand, staring and watching the forensic team collect the blood for testing, wondering:

_Do true gods bleed?_


	3. a little different

Bruce wasn't there when the team met them. He is very glad for that. The way the others describe them… He's not sure he could hold back the Other Guy if it came to that.

It's not Tony's description of how they break the laws of physics that bothers him, but how Natasha and Steve both go quiet whenever they are brought up, as if there is something darker to consider when discussing these children.

Bruce thinks Natasha thinks they are child soldiers, like her. Forced into a war that only they know and think they are responsible for.

Bruce thinks Steve thinks they volunteered. That they thought it would be a honer or a game, protecting someone or thing, like him. Not understanding how one could save and transverse the world by staying home.

Bruce doesn't know what he thinks. Maybe they are strange soldiers, or volunteers, or gamers, or gods, or meta humans, or travelers, or simply lost children with some strange powers.

He doesn't like dwelling on maybes. Maybes lead to dark things that can set off bad things with only thoughts to act as proof. And these children were the definition of a maybe to him.

That is, until one, for lack of a better word, poofed into his lab.

(His lab, not Tony's. Very big difference.)

He was experimenting on several blood samples of metahumans and testing the effectiveness of various vaccines when a green light reflected on the syringe he was carefully measuring out.

"Tony, for the last time, don't test your repulsors in here. I have at least seven strands of smallpox on this table right now, and god help us if you spill them." Bruce didn't even bother turning around.

He regretted that when a young girl's voice piped up behind him, "Now why would you have that much? Shouldn't just one be enough?"

Barely catching the syringe he was holding, Bruce slowly turned around, coming face to face with one of the strange children his colleges had encountered some weeks ago.

She fit the description of Child #3: black hair, startling green eyes, and strange white dog ears peeking out from under the hood of the strange dress she wore. Said dress looked more like pajamas than anything and its dark color only served to make the small rubber bands on the girl's hands stand out more.

"I'm Jade! I would offer to shake your hand, but your arms look a bit full right now." Her voice drifted through Bruce's surprize like a familiar song being played in a dream, he recognized it was there, but couldn't quite grasp it.

Jade glanced at her feet, tapping them to the rhythm of a silent song. "Weeelllll, if you won't, I'll start. My friends sent me here to deliver a message. That being, and I quote, "Lay off on the surveillance bro. We'll be leaving asap. Just think of us as passing through.""

Bruce by now had gathered his thoughts and walked past Jade, placing the syringe on the table behind her and stripping off his latex gloves. "Why did they send you in particular?"

She giggled. "Of course! You've never met us yet!" and promptly, in another flash of green light, disappeared and simultaneously appeared sitting on the table where Bruce had just placed the syringe. "I'm the one with the best escape plan of course!"

Ignoring the thousands of questions plaguing his mind (howwhathowmanyarethereofyouwhyareyouhere) he focused on the one that, to him, was most relevant at the current moment. "Why come to me with this message? You by now must know what I am and how this could have gone wrong."

Frowning, she began kicking her legs, like a bored child (she's a kid. THey are all kids.). "That's a bit complicated. We chose you for two reasons. First, you are the only one of this "Avengers" team with something resembling a regular schedule and once we realized you guys were watching us we began watching, or rather Seeing, you. We decided to send a message because the surveillance is getting out hand and you were the only one who we could depend on being in a place we could count on. That, and you just reek of gamma radiation! As a space player, that makes it easy for me to track your every move." By the end of this she was looking him in the eye with those cutting green eyes and was grinning broadly, obviously not caring that she was divulging the strategies of her allies (friends, comrades, group, team?).

Bruce thought about what she said, again ignoring the questions that bombarded him at her statement, considering his options. "If I asked some questions, would you answer?"

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Depends on the question, I guess."

He nods. "Are you guys stuck here?" 

"I don't know… That's more like a question to ask Rose… um, the blond girl."

"Do any of you need medical help?"

At this she laughed. "No! I thought Dave told you? We're gods. We can't die, not unless…" She trailed off, muttering something about not being heros anyway.

Ignoring the fact that one doesn't need to be dying to need medical attention, Bruce moved on. "You're not here on purpose?"

"Nah, we were heading somewhere else and got a bit off track. The more I think about it, I blame that weird guy in the green shirt…"

There. While Bruce did have many, many more questions, he stopped, knowing now and here was hardly an ideal location for such a questioning.

Never missing a beat, Jade jumped to her feet, grinning broadly once more. "I believe this is my que to leave. Bye Bruce!" and for the third time a green light flashed, leaving Bruce alone. Again.

He slowly stood to his feet and walked to the door, planning on heading to Tony's lab, if not for alcohol, then only for company to stop his thinking.

so sorry for anyone who saw the mistake when i uploaded this. kisses.


End file.
